Method of soldering leading-in wires to lamp bases



July 10, 1928. 1,676,949

J. J. HIGGINS METHOD OF SOLDERING LEADING-IN WIRES 1'0 LAMP BASES Filed April 21, 1923 m TOR JOHN J. CIA/ S ATTORNEY Patented July 10,1928,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS, OF EAST ORAINTGE, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF SOLDEBING LEADINGJN WIRES TO LAMP BASES.

Application filed April 21 This invention relates to the manufacture of incandescent electric), lamps and more particularly to the method of securing leading-in wires to the bases of such lamps.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical method of securing a leading-in wire to a metallic base.

Another object is toprovide a method in which a sequence of operations for securing a leading-in wire to a base, may be readily adapted for automatic performance.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for maintaining a quantity of fusible material in position, prior to the fusing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for controlling the amount of fusible material employed to secure a leading-in wire to a base.

A still further object of the invention consists in the formation of a cavity in a body for the reception of a fusible material whereby a leading-in wire and said material may be properly juxtaposed for a fus- 2 ing operation to secure the wire to the body.

The manufacture of incandescent electric lamps requires certain soldering operations,

the leading-in wires or conductors of the.

lamp being usually connected with external contacts for the purpose of permitting a flow of electi'ical current when the lamp is screwed, or otherwise inserted, into a socket of a lighting circuit. Lamps, as generally constructed, have one of the leading-in wires thereof secured to a contact member which is insulated fromthe shell or metallic base. The insulated contact member is generally "positioned at the lower end of the base and disposed axially thereof.

The other leading-in wire is usually soldered or otherwise secured to the external cylindrical surface of a threadless portion of the 'base of the lamp; that is, the connection that is made on the periphery of the base, to distinguish from the axially disposed connection, may be termed a peripheral contact.

The present invention provides a method for facilitating the operation of securing the peripherally disposed leading-in wire. Heretofore, the peripheral or circumferentially disposed leading-in wire of a'lamp was so1 dered to the shell or base by suitably posit ming the wire a j went t the ircumfer- 1923. Serial No. 633,798.

resulted in satisfactory unions, the operations required did not lend themselves well to automatic actuation.

Although the. soldering of a leading-in wire to a base by manual operation appears to be a simple one, the. conditions attending upon the automatic soldering operations were such that great difficulty was experienced in obtaining a method which would be adaptable for mechanical performance.

Attempts have been made to automatically solder leading-in wires to the circumference. ofa base, and one difliculty which presented itself resided in the inability of the machine to deposit the proper amount of fusible material when making the connection. It will be appreciated that either too little or an excessive amount of material upon the wire would tend toward a defective union or present an appearance which would be inconsistent with the manufacturing standard in the production of electric incandescent lamps. Furthermore, the deposit of. an excessive amount of solder preventsthe proper adjustment of the base within a socket.

It was also found difficult to properly position the wire prior to the soldering operation in order to maintain it in proper position for the soldering operation.

The present invention avoids the difiiculties set forth above by providing an aperture in the base of a lamp and in temporarily securing a leading-in wire within the aperture by the insertion of a section of'thesol- .der to be subsequently used'as the material for securing the leading-in wire to the base. This solder is applied by first inserting the end of a rod of solder into the aperture and insevering a small'section from the rod, the section being of such length as to slightly project above the aperture. Asoldering iron may then be moved to make contact with the solder to fuse it and effect the connection of the leading-in wire to the base.

Another advantage is derived from the fact that, in the present method, the base is so positioned. that, when the solder isin th me e tate, t w ll, y reas n of g a y,

be applied may comprise the usual bulb 11 having a screw base 12 cemented thereto. Leading-in wire 13 may then be bent to form a loop 14, and a suitable drill 15 be operated to form an aperture 16. The aperture 16 may, if desired, be formed in a base prior to its application to the bulb. It may be desira-ble to press an aperture or cavity 1n the shell instead of drilling therethrough, or a plurality of properly disposed prongs may be stamped out of the shell and bent upwardly to receive a predetermined amount of solder. The preferable method is, however, to drill through the base to producethe aperture 16, whereupon, the loop 14 may be inserted into the aperture as shown in Flg. 3. When the loop is thus positioned, the end of a rod of solder 17 having a suitable flux applied thereto may be inserted into the aperture.

The rod of solder may then be severed to leave a small portion or section 18 dis osed within the aperture and in contact wit the leading-in wire (see Fig. 7). The solder thus disposed may be readily fused by the application of a heated iron 19 which may be moved to make contact with the solder to heat the same, and fuse it, with the result that a connection or deposit 21 is effected. By reason of the vertical position of the longitudinal axis of the lamp, the solder will flow downwardly and embed the greater portion of leading-in wire adjacent to the outside of the base.

Although the present invention may be considered as having the operations thus performed semi-automatically, it will be understood that suitable mechanism maybe provided for progressively operating upon the lamp to seal the wire thereto.

The looped portion of the leading-in wire may then be inserted into the hole, and the end of the rod of solder may also be inserted and forced in co 'L-act with the leadlng-in wire, thus securely anchoring the leading-in wire in position. WVhen the end 1 of the solder has been properly disposed in the aperture, it may be severed at a point adjacent to the base, so as to leave a'small portion of the solder rod projecting from the aperture.

If desirable, instead of inserting the leading-in wire into the hole 16, the solder may be inserted therein and the leading-in wire twisted around the projecting portion of the section 18- of solder, as shown in Fig. 10. Finally the soldering iron 19 may be operated to use the solder 18 to consolidate the wire with the base.

It will be appreciated that, by reason of the present invention, the handling of the lamp for the automatic or semi-automatic soldering operation may be accomplished in a simple and practical manner. Furthermore, by reason of the operation for severing the section 18 of solder from the rod, a predetermined amount of such material may be provided and a uniform union-maintained. I I

Although the present description states one method of practicing my invention and the drawing illustrates an embodiment thereof, it is obvious that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhatis claimed is:

1. The method of soldering leading-in wire to a base which comprises bending a leading-in wire to form a loop, drilling a hole in said base, positioning said loop in said hole, inserting an end of a rod of fusible material into said hole and in contact with said loop, severing said rod to permit a short section thereof to project from said hole, moving a heated member to fuse said section and positioning the lamp so as to permit a flow of the fused material along a portion of the length of said leading-in wire.

2. The method of securing a leading-in wire to a base which comprises forming an aperture in said base, inserting said leadingin wire therein, positioning the base with its longitudinal axis vertical, applying a fusible material to a portion of the leadingin wire disposed in said aperture, fusing said material and permiting the fused ma terial to flow along a portion of the leadingin wire adjacent to the aperture.

3. The method of soldering a leading-in wire to a base which comprises forming an aperture in a base, looping the end of a leading-in wire, inserting said loop in said aperture, positioning the end of a rod of solder in said aperture, severing said rod to leave a portion of said solder projecting from said aperture and fusing said portion to secure said leading-in wire to the base.

4. The method of soldering a leading-in Wire to a base which comprises forming an aperture in said base, disposing the end of a rod of fusible material in said aperture, severing said rod to leave a section thereof projecting from said aperture, disposing a leading-in wire adjacent to said section and heating said material to secure said leadingin wire to the base.

-5. Thennethod of soldering a leading-in wire to a base which comprises bending the end of a leading-in wire to loop form, drilling a hole in said base, inserting the end. of a rod of fusible material into said hole, positioning said looped end of the wire adjacent said fusible material, severing said niathe end of a leading-in wire adjacent to said fusible material, applying a flux and fusing said material to secure said leading-in wire to the base.

7. The method of soldering a leading-in wire to a base which comprises drilling-ahole in said base, positioning the end of a leading-in wire within said hole, forcing the end of a rod of solder into said hole and in contact with said leading-in wire, severing said rod to permit a short section. thereof to remain insaid hole, applying a flux and moving a heated member to fuse said solder to secure the leading-in wire to said base. 8. The method of soldering a leading-in .wire to a base which comprises drilling a hole through the wall of said base, looping the end of a leading-in wire, positioning said loop within said hole, inserting the end of a rod of solder into said hole and in contact with said leading-in wire, severing "said rod to permita small section thereof toremain in said hole, applying a flux and fusing said positioned section to secure said leading-in wire to said base.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of April, 1923.

J OHN JOSEPH HIGGINS. 

